Rift Province
Rift is a province in New Englia situated in the Rift Mountains. The rocky soil and harsh climate make it nearly impossible for any type of agriculture to take place. However, it is know for having large coal deposits particularly in the central part of the province. =Geography= Located in the Rift Mountain range, Rift Province covers an area of - km² making it the 3rd-largest province in the country. Rift Province is bounded to north by Central Province, to the south by Englia Province, to the east by both Englia and Lucas Provinces, and to the west by the Eastern Territories. The geography consists of mostly of mountainous terrain especially to the north and west. Mount Lucas, the highest point in New Englia, is located near the New Englia-Eastern Territories border. To the east lies the Rift Highlands which are generally lower in terrain, but still provide coarse, rocky soil unsuitable for farming. The central and southern part of the province are hilly and are known for having the largest coal deposits in the country. The province is home to three federally protected areas; Ridge National Park, Cobb National Forest and the Rift Mountains Scenic Trail. =Demographics= The province is home to over 5.8 million people which makes it the least populated province in the nation. The lack of suitable land has been blamed as the main reason for the low population. The overall birth and migration rates remain very low with the infant mortality rate the highest in the nation. Inhabitants generally live 2 years shorter than citizens of the other provinces due to the lack of adequate health care. The area itself has seen a decline in population over the years as high paying jobs have become scarce in favor of more traditional jobs such as mining. Ethnicity The largest racial group are white englians which make up 78% of the population and are located throughout the province. Gao-Showas and black englians are generally located in the southern part of the province and both make up 11% of the remaining population. The Welsh are the dominant ethnicity and have been in this area for generations. Religion About 85% of citizens in the province identify themselves as Christian with the with the primary denominations being Catholic and Protestant. The remaining 15% is divided between Buddhism, Judaism, Atheism and other religions. =Economy= Mining is the region's major employer. Since the tech boom of the 2950s, high paying jobs have left the area in favor of high tech industries resulting in an economic downturn. The province has since reverted back to mining as the primary means of employment in the province. Coal and bauxite have become the "cash crops" of the area with a staggering ratio of 7 mines to 1 person. Nearly all of the electricity generated is from coal-fired power plants. The National Census of 2985, measured the median income at 36,499 FRX, the poverty rate at 23.1% and the unemployment rate at 9%. =Law and Government= building in Cut-Off.]] The chief executive of Rift Province is the governor, who is elected to a three-year term and is sworn in on March 20. The governor is not restricted to any term limits. The current Governor is Zachary Denison of the Colonial Party. The capital and seat of government of the province is the city of Cut-Off. The province has a bicameral legislature known as the Rift Provincial Assembly. It consists of the Senate (upper house) and the House of Delegates (lower house). The province's highest court is the Supreme Court of Rift Province with the courts of general jurisdiction being the Rift Province Circuit Courts. Counties Rift Province is divided in to 3 counties. Counties are headed by a County Commissioner who is also the president of the County Council which is elected and serves as the legislative body. Counties have control over garbage disposal, water supply, sewerage, zoning, development, building codes and school districts. Cities and Towns Rift Province has only one major city; Cut-Off. Cut-Off is the capital of the province and located in the northwestern part of the province. The only other city in the province with over 50,000 residents is New Haverford which is located about 40 miles from Mount Lucas in the western part of the province. Politics =Education= Rift Province ranks last when it comes to education. The census in 2985 determined of about 79,500 elementary pupils and about 132,500 secondary students with a total of 54 public elementary and secondary schools. The province ranks last among the other 4 provinces in academic achievement and spending per pupil in the nation. Most schools in the nation were either built before 2970 and/or lack the appropriate materials for a school to perform at the level of "average". Colleges and Universities Rift Province is the only province without a 4-year or 2-year college. =Transportation= Rift Province is served by both road and air but not rail do to the challenges associated with elevation. Rift Province is known for having the most dangerous roads in the nation due to most roads being two lanes and/or lacking safety measures such as guardrails or shoulders. To make matters worse, the posted speed limit is 70 mph with the usage of seat belts as optional. This has led to the highest traffic deaths in the nation since 2987. Currently, the province's major roads run between the cities of Cut-Off and New Haverford and other smaller towns. To increase revenue and reduce traffic on the main roads, the tolled Rift Mountains Turnpike was built as an alternative route for trucks, but quickly became over used by both cars and trucks as the capacity on other roads reached their maximum. The recently approved Federal Highway System will greatly fix this problem by providing the province with two 6 lane limited access freeways with I-1 being the north to south route and I-17 being the east to west route. The new freeways will provide a faster and safer way to transport coal from the mine to the ports across the country and into the Eastern Territories. There are currently 6 airports in Rift Province. Five airports serve as a place for general aviation with Cut-Off Regional Airport (COA) serving as the place for commercial service. =Links= New Englia Politics of New Englia